New jobs coming to Upstate from SC auto glass maker expansion

A Chinese automotive glass manufacturer will spend $34.5 million and create 121 jobs at its plant in Fountain Inn.

Fuyao Glass America Inc. announced in January 2019 it would build a 182,000 square-foot processing center with light production capabilities, investing $16.1 million and creating 70 jobs.

The announcement Tuesday said the company will add assembly operations to install parts to auto glass, such as sensors and antennas.

Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey II called the company’s decision “a testament to our world-class workforce.”

Company President Zuogui Xie called the Upstate “a key region for the automotive industry.”

The SC Department of Commerce says the automotive industry has an economic impact to the state of more than $27 billion, dating back to 1994, when BMW began to make cars in Spartanburg County. There are about 500 automotive-related businesses in South Carolina.

Fountain Inn is located in Greenville County.

The expansion is expected to be complete in March 2023.

Fountain Inn Mayor GP McLeer called Fuyao an “outstanding corporate citizen and quality employer.”

The Fuyao Group, in business since 1987, makes 4 million glass car sets in the United States annually. Its other facilities are in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.

This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 12:59 PM.